The Freeman School’s Industry Experts-in-Residence (IEIR) is a transformative program that connects aspiring business leaders with seasoned industry professionals. From career insights to industry-specific strategies, IEIRs help students fine-tune their career approach and navigate the complexities of the recruiting process.
- Access to Real-World Insights: Industry Experts-in-Residence are typically individuals (and often Tulane alumni) who have held senior positions or achieved notable success in their respective fields. They bring their practical, real-world knowledge to students, helping them understand industry trends, challenges, and opportunities.
- Career Guidance and Mentoring: These experts may serve as mentors and advisors, offering personalized guidance to students as they navigate their career paths.
- Industry-Specific Knowledge: Depending on the experts’ backgrounds, the program may cover various business disciplines such as finance, marketing, accounting, healthcare, technology, energy, and more. Students can gain insights into specific industries they are interested in.
Students engage with Industry Experts during virtual or in-person office hours, small group sessions, industry networking nights, and practice interview events. One-on-one appointments can be scheduled by reaching out to a Freeman Career Consultant, emailing the Career Management Center office, or by stopping by in person (GWBC 308).
Meet the Experts-in-Residence Members
Edwin Bragg
Marketing
Edwin helms Bragg Marketing, a consultancy where he develops marketing strategies, brand positioning, creative tactics and digital initiatives to drive sales and consumer engagement for growing and iconic brands. Edwin has led the global marketing and communications for several industry leaders including Shake Shack, GQ and eyewear brand Krewe. His roles have involved everything from giving brands their unique identity to making them shine in the digital realm. At Shake Shack, he spearheaded its transformation from a New York City hot dog cart into a global sensation with restaurants worldwide, while successfully navigated a $1.6 billion Initial Public Offering (IPO). Prior to Shake Shack, Edwin was the Marketing Director for GQ at Condé Nast, where he led its marketing strategies and consumer insights initiatives. A graduate of Tulane University, Edwin holds an MBA in Marketing from Georgia State University.
Dan Brouillette
Energy
Dan is currently the President of Sempra Infrastructure, one the country’s leading LNG exporters. He is based in Houston. Prior to joining Sempra, Dan served as the 15th US Secretary of Energy and the 19th US Deputy Secretary of Energy. There he managed all aspects of federal energy policy, oversaw 17 national research laboratories dedicated to energy science, and directed and managed the nation’s nuclear weapons program. Before joining the Department he was a senior vice president at USAA and a corporate vice president for Ford Motor Company.
Dan Crumb
Finance, Accounting, Sports Management
Dan Crumb, Kansas City Chiefs' CFO since 2010 and EVP since 2021, is entering his 15th NFL season in 2024. He collaborates with the team’s leadership on financial operations, planning, and business strategy. Crumb has led initiatives to enhance efficiency, such as implementing pricing models, budgeting systems, and IT solutions. His efforts were recognized with the 2016 CFO of the Year award by the Kansas City Business Journal. A New Orleans native, he previously served as Senior VP of Finance for the New Orleans Hornets and as CFO at Abita Springs Water Company. Crumb is active in community service and regularly presents on sports finance at universities nationwide.
Chelsey Ingenito Fields
Hospitality, Sales, Marketing
Chelsey has been in the hospitality industry for 10 years, with a lifelong passion for it. As Vendor and CRM Specialist at Fischer Travel in NYC, she builds relationships with industry partners and supports luxury travel and lifestyle services for UHNW clients. She also founded Fischer-Rosenthal Consulting, advising luxury hospitality businesses on marketing to affluent clients. A Tulane alumna, Chelsey developed a love for fine dining after discovering Emeril's in 1993.
At Tulane, she was the first student to join the ICADE E-4 program in Spain and interned in Madrid. After graduation, she worked on Wall Street for 8 years as a VP and research analyst at Merrill Lynch, where she founded the Research Excellence program. Chelsey is eager to support students in exploring hospitality careers.
Brett Freimauer
Finance
Brett Freimauer is a metro New York based Managing Director in EY’s Structured Finance Advisory Services practice. He has over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry serving investment banking clients with a focus on commercial mortgage backed securities (CMBS). Prior to his time at EY, Brett worked at Andersen Consulting, Deloitte and within private real estate development. Brett is a Tulane alum with a BA in History. He has also earned his JD and has been admitted to the Bar in both New York and New Jersey.
David Gardner
Finance
David J. Gardner is an accomplished Senior Executive and Advisor with more than 30 years of success across the Financial Services and Management Consulting, and Technology/Business Process Outsourcing industries. As a former Fortune 100 CIO, his broad areas of expertise include Global Business and IT Strategy and Management, Business and IT Transformation, Cloud Strategy and Deployment, Change and Relationship Management, Business Process Redesign and Outsourcing, and Implementation and Operations. He was most recently Chief Information Officer for Global Corporate Operations at AIG and now runs the independent consultancy Ronin Solutions which has been engaged by multiple startups, consulting and private equity firms, and established companies as an independent executive consultant and advisor. David received his Bachelor of Science in Management and Finance from the City University of New York and his Master of Business Administration from Tulane University.
Dale Klamfoth
Consulting, Finance, Accounting, Human Resources
Dale Klamfoth is the Founder and CEO of Careers in Business, LLC, offering career development and consulting services to individuals, colleges, and organizations. He previously served as the Executive Director of the Career Management Center at Tulane University’s Freeman School of Business (2017-2022), overseeing career services for 3,000 students. Before Tulane, Dale held leadership roles at Lee Hecht Harrison and Korn Ferry International, focusing on career management, leadership development, and talent consulting. He began his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers and holds a degree in Business from Capital University, where he serves on the Dean’s Advisory Board.
Mark Livingston
Finance, Accounting, Healthcare
Mark Livingston is a finance executive with expertise in guiding entrepreneurial businesses through high-growth transitions. He has worked across various industries in the US and internationally, including public accounting, mining, oil & gas, cable TV, and healthcare. Currently the CFO at Progyny (NASDAQ: PGNY), a leading fertility benefits company, he led its successful IPO in 2019. Mark was named one of Crain’s New York Business Notable Leaders in 2024. A Tulane alum and CPA, he previously held senior roles at Scripps Networks, WebMD, and Hess.
Bill Marko
Finance, Investment Banking
William (Bill) Marko joined Jefferies as a Managing Director in the Energy Investment Banking group in Houston in February 2005. In 2023 he became a Special Advisor in the group. He has managed more than $80 billion in upstream oil and gas asset and corporate transactions, has worked face to face with clients in more than 25 countries, and he has evaluated oil and gas opportunities in more than 100 countries. He has also completed transactions in every major oil and gas basin in the U.S. and Canada.
Prior to joining Jefferies, Bill worked for Mobil Oil in various engineering and commercial roles for 18 years followed by seven years at two boutique A&D advisory firms. Bill received his BS (1981) and MS degrees (1983) from Tulane University, and he is currently a member of its Board of Trustees.
Duane Schrader
Energy
Duane recently concluded an appointment as the Sr. Portfolio Manager at Truterra, a subsidiary of Land O’Lakes Inc., focused on promoting sustainable agricultural production practices. He currently supports the Tulane Energy Institute as a guest lecturer. Duane’s special areas of expertise are at the intersection of agriculture and energy, and the use of credit/certificate programs to incent environmental and socially desirable outcomes. Schrader came to Tulane after 43 years managing physical and financial trading programs, first in agricultural, then in energy commodities. He brings experience from Louis Dreyfus Corporation, Xcel Energy, MidAmerican Energy, and LG&E/KU Energy, as well as founder his own company as the U.S. representative office for major European and South American multi-commodity trading houses managing procurement, logistics, and trading risk.
Kara Rosen
Marketing, Consumer Packaged Goods
Kara Rosen is an entrepreneur and philanthropist with a focus on health, sustainability, and business innovation. As the founder and former CEO of PLENISH, the UK’s leading organic plant-based drinks company, she transformed the health beverage market. After a career at Conde Nast in New York, Kara launched PLENISH in London in 2012, later selling it to Britvic in 2021. She is also the author of two books and serves as a board member for OceanSaver. A Tulane alumna and Visiting Scholar, Kara lives in Miami with her husband and two daughters.
Mike Strug
Real Estate
Mike Strug is a commercial real estate veteran of over 24 years who currently works at BlackRock within a CMBS analytics team. Mike has spent most of his career on the debt side of commercial real estate and was previously with companies such TIAA-CREF, Prudential (PGIM) and Cushman & Wakefield. Mike is also the Founder/President of the YREPNY networking group in NYC and the new YREPNY workshop for college students. Mike graduated from Columbia Business School (MBA) with a concentration in Real Estate and Finance. Mike received a BS degree in Mathematical Economics from Tulane University. Mike resides with his family in the NYC/NJ area and is a native Texan (Houston). He has over a dozen relatives who graduated from Tulane including his parents and his twin brother. Mike is very passionate about paying it forward and helping college students and young professionals build solid careers!
Bouvier Williams
Leadership, Human Resources
Dr. Bouvier Williams is a renowned organization development executive, performance coach, and human capital advisor to senior leaders in global companies. With over 30 years of experience, he has expertise in personal branding, talent management, succession planning, leadership, talent acquisition, performance management, diversity and inclusion, and mobile learning technology platforms. Dr. Williams joined Beth Israel Lahey Health in 2022 to lead the Organization Development & Change function. Prior to this, he led teams at NYU Langone Health and worked with globally recognized brands such as Amazon, DSM, Viacom Media Networks, JP Morgan Chase, Ernst & Young, and Citibank. Dr. Williams received his EdD in Learning and Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania in 2014 and holds an MBA in Human Resources Management and Marketing from Tulane University's A.B. Freeman School of Business. His BS is from St. John's University in New York.
Ken Yaffe
Sports Management, Entertainment
Ken Yaffe is a seasoned sports and entertainment executive with over 30 years of experience, including 19 years as a senior executive with the NHL. He is known for his expertise in league operations, commercial rights, content strategy, and media production. As a transformational leader, Yaffe has a history of delivering creative solutions in complex business environments. In 2012, he founded Yaffe Sports Ventures (YSV), providing advisory services in strategy, marketing, and business development. Before YSV, he led NHL International's global ventures and served as Executive Producer for the NHL’s Events and Entertainment division.
